Tag: Brian Wolfe

The media learned on Friday that Brian Wolfe will undergo Tommy John surgery. He will remain in the United States for the surgery and rehab. He will most likely require about a year for a full recovery.

Wolfe complained of tightness in his right elbow after a start against Orix on May 18. He was examined at a hospital in Fukuoka the following day. The Hawks did not think it was serious, but Wolfe wanted a consult with his doctor and was allowed to return to the United States for a second opinion on the 29th. Wolfe is the in the first year of a two-year deal.

The Hawks confirmed reporters that Wolfe will under reconstructive surgery on his right elbow at a hospital in Los Angeles, California. He will require about twelve to fourteen months for a full recovery. Both Wolfe and the organization feel surgery is the best way to go.

Toshiya Sugiuchi worked out at Koshien Stadium on Friday. He took a batted ball off the area above his left knee during his last start on the 26th. He told reporters he was fine. Sugiuchi is scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/30/2014

Hiroshima Carp

Kam Mickolio pitched in a Ni-gun rehab game against Orix on Friday. He entered the game in the 6th and gave up a run on two hits over an inning of work (1B9-WP-R, 1B9 one RBI, K, K, G6). He also struck out two and walked none. Source: Daily Sports 5/30/2014

Chunichi Dragons

Motonobu Tanishige tweaked his left leg during Monday's game against the Softbank Hawks. He did not play on Wednesday and Thursday. He worked out at Seibu Dome on Friday and told reporters he had not yet made a decision on his status. Source: Sports Hochi 5/30/2014

Takuya Asao (right elbow) pitched in a Ni-gun game against Hiroshima on Thursday. He entered the game in the 9th and did not allow a run or a hit over an inning of work. He threw thirteen pitches and topped out at 144km/h. The Dragons have decided to wait on Asao a little longer since he is not an immediate need. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/30/2014

Rakuten Eagles

Kevin Youkilis might be able to resume practices in about two months. Youkilis was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in his left foot while he was in Japan. Tests in the United States came back with the same diagnosis. Source: Sponichi 5/30/2014 ... Youkilis told reporters in Boston that his doctors told him it might take three to six months for a full recovery. Source: Sports Hochi 5/30/2014

Softbank Hawks

Seiichi Uchikawa began his rehab at the Saitozaki facilities on Friday. His day lasted about six hours and included some walking, stretching, upper body strengthening exercises, and treatment for his right gluteus maximus. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/30/2014, Sponichi 5/30/2014

Brian Wolfe left for the United States on Thursday. He will be getting additional tests on his right elbow. He would like to avoid surgery if possible. He is planning to visit the hospital where he got Tommy John surgery in 2003. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/30/2014

Senichi Hoshino was diagnosed with a herniated lumbar disc and ossification of the yellow ligament in his thoracic spine. He is currently leaning toward surgery. Source: Daily Sports 5/28/2014, Sponichi 5/28/2014

Luis Cruz was diagnosed with a bruise on his left ulna. He was taken off the active roster on Wednesday because there was pain and swelling in the area. He will require about a week for a full recovery. Source: Sanspo 5/28/2014, Sanspo 5/28/2014

Tadashi Settsu started a Ni-gun game against Hanshin on Wednesday. He gave up a run on two hits over four innings of work. He threw fifty-six pitches and topped out at 142km/h. This was his first outing since he was taken off the active roster on the 10th with a tired right shoulder. He might be able to return to the active roster some time next week. Source: Sanspo 5/28/2014, Nikkan Sports 5/28/2014, Sponichi 5/28/2014

Kenji Otonari (ossification of yellow ligament) is slated to start a Ni-gun game against Chunichi on June 1. He is also scheduled to make an appearance in relief during a Ni-gun game against Hanshin on the 29th. The game on the 29th will be his first at Ni-gun this season. Source: Daily Sports 5/28/2014

Ryuichi Kajimae hurt his right ankle during pre-game practices on the 18th. He was later diagnosed with an injury to his right anterior talofibular ligament. Source: Sanspo 5/20/2014

Leslie Anderson (right thigh) practiced outdoors on Tuesday for the first time since his injury. He did some walking in the outfield and played some catcher. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/20/2014

Hirokazu Sawamura (right shoulder) is set to pitch in a Ni-gun rehab game against Nippon Ham on Wednesday. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/20/2014

Hanshin Tigers

The Tigers are still not sure when Shinobu Fukuhara (right adductor) will be able to return to the active roster. He was able to play catch on Sunday, but has not yet tossed a bullpen session. Hanshin will wait to make a decision on Fukuhara until they have had a chance to see him throw off a mound. Source: Sanspo 5/20/2014

Yokohama Bay Stars

Tony Blanco (left biceps femoris) returned to the starting line-up on Tuesday. Kiyoshi Nakahata told reporters the slugger was at about seventy percent. Source: Sponichi 5/20/2014

Yakult Swallows

Yasuhiro Ogawa (right hand) was examined at a hospital in Tokyo on Monday and given the green light to resume playing catch. There is a chance he could return to the active roster some time before the end of June. Ogawa's workouts up to now have centered around running and weights. Source: Sanspo 5/20/2014, Nikkan Sports 5/20/2014 ... Ogawa started throwing into a net on Tuesday (nine throws). Source: Nikkan Sports 5/20/2014, Sanspo 5/20/2014

Rakuten Eagles

Manabu Mima could start an Ichi-gun Inter-league game on the 24th against Chunichi at kobo Stadium. Mima was taken off the active roster after he took a batted ball off his lower abdomen and suffered a bruise during his last Ichi-gun start on April 29. He told reporters on Tuesday the bruise was no longer a problem. Source: Sponichi 5/20/2014

Softbank Hawks

Brian Wolfe was examined at a hospital in Fukuoka on Monday and diagnosed with inflammation in his right elbow. He was taken off the active roster on Tuesday and will be shut down for about a week. Source: Sports Hochi 5/20/2014, Nikkan Sports 5/20/2014

The Softbank Hawks announced today that they agreed to terms with Brian Wolfe (33). The two sides agreed on a two-year deal worth an estimated 300 million yen plus incentives. He was assigned the number seventeen.

According to a report by Sponichi, the Softbank Hawks may be very close to making an announcement of deals with Dae-Ho Lee (31), Jason Standridge (35), Brian Wolfe (33), and Dennis Sarfate (32). The Hawks may have spent about 1.6 billion yen on all four players, with about half going to Lee in the form of a two-year deal worth an estimated 800 million yen. That could push Softbank's 2013 winter shopping total to a whopping 2.6 billion yen, which, by the way, would be more than the current proposed upper threshold for posting system bids.

ZakZak feels that the Yomiuri Giants have yet to reach out to Yasuyuki Kataoka because they are still trying to decide if they really need him. They have a number of internal candidates at second base, like Takayuki Terauchi, Daisuke Nakai, and Daisuke Fujimura, but not everyone in the organization is convinced that they are good enough to play on a daily basis.

Tokyo Sports wonders if the Yomiuri Giants plan to include Takahiro Aoki on their list of protected players. If they do not, Hiroshima could take him back with their compensation pick for losing Kan Otake.

According to Sports Hochi, the two sides have already reached an agreement and that an announcement could take place in Fukuoka some time this week. Orix is thought to have offered Yamazaki a three-year deal worth 150 million yen that includes an understanding that the organization will make considerations to hire him as a coach after he retires.

The Hiroshima Carp are reportedly close to finalizing an extension with Brad Eldred. They were originally planning to part ways with Eldred, but his late-season surge impressed the coaches enough for them to push for his return.

Hiroshima has decided not to re-sign Fred Lewis. As of now, the Carp have five foreign players on the seventy-man roster in 2014: Eldred, Bryan Bullington, Kam Mickolio, Kila Ka'aihue, and Zach Phillips. The front office could add a sixth -- they are looking at right-handed position players.

The Eagles are interested in Jason Standridge, regardless of what happens with Masahiro Tanaka. The organization wants more dependable starting pitchers since they only had two this season (Tanaka and Takahiro Norimoto). There are other pitchers in the organization that could step up next season, but the Eagles are uncomfortable with having so many questions marks in the starting rotation, especially since Tanaka is also an unknown at this point.

The Swallows are reportedly close to finalizing a deal with Hiroki Sanada. He is expected to undergo a physical within the next few days. An announcement will likely follow, assuming no problems are found.

Samsung contacted the Tigers on Saturday to inform them that they were too pre-occupied with the Asia Series and would not be able to make decision on Seung Hwan Oh until the Series was over. Hanshin is prepared to wait at least until then.

GM Katsuhiro Nakamura told reporters negotiations on Friday were at fifty-fifty. He felt a little better on Saturday and upgraded his outlook to sixty-forty. He apparently felt a more positive vibe from Oh's agent.

... Pena has spent the last two years in Japan playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball. He hit .233 (35-for-150) with one home run and 16 RBIs in just 55 games in 2013, but hit .280 with 21 homers and 76 RBIs in 130 games in 2012.

The best fit for Pena seemingly is in Japan, as the outfielder struggled to stick at the major league level despite tremendous raw power. Pena hit 26 home runs in 110 games with the Reds in 2004 and 19 in 99 games in 2005 before being dealt to the Red Sox in exchange for Bronson Arroyo prior to the 2006 season. He hit .301 with 11 homers and 42 RBIs in 84 games with Boston in 2006, but was later shipped to the Nationals in August of 2007, at which point his big league career really began to fizzle out.

The Tigers are planning to fill their foreign player roster slots with two pitchers and two position players next year. They are looking into a fifth foreign player in case one of the four on the active roster gets hurt.

The biggest sticking point in negotiations for Samsung's Seung Hwan Oh is apparently the amount of the transfer fee. There was a tentative deadline today that could not be met, but the Tigers plan to continue negotiations.

GM Katsuhiro Nakamura told reporters that they came to terms with Matt Muron.